VTOL Aircraft for Network System

ABSTRACT

A vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) aircraft provides transportation to users of a network system. The network system may include multiple aircraft or other types of vehicles to provide multi-model transportation. An aircraft may include a fuselage, a truss coupled to the fuselage, and multiple distributed electric propellers coupled to the truss. The distributed electric propellers may be positioned on at least two different planes. The fuselage may include a cabin having one or more seats for the passengers arranged in a configuration that has a compact footprint, provides legroom, provides visibility to surroundings of the aircraft, or facilitates convenient ingress or egress of passengers. The aircraft may open a port cabin door and starboard cabin door for simultaneous ingress or egress of passengers.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent ApplicationSer. No. 62/540,517 filed on Aug. 2, 2017, and U.S. Provisional PatentApplication Ser. No. 62/541,050 filed on Aug. 3, 2017, both are whichare incorporated by reference herein in their entirety for all purposes.

BACKGROUND 1. Field

The present disclosure generally relates to vertical take-off andlanding (VTOL) aircraft, and particularly to VTOL aircraft for providingtransportation services.

2. Description of the Related Art

Developments in VTOL-related technologies have made it possible to buildand support an urban VTOL network. VTOL aircraft using electricpropulsion may have zero operational emissions and can operate quietlyto not contribute to noise pollution, which is caused by traditionaltypes of aircraft such as helicopters and passenger planes. The tops ofexisting buildings such as parking garages, helipads, or even unusedland surrounding highway interchanges may be re-purposed as landing padsor charging stations for VTOL aircraft. However, challenges remain increating and operating a VTOL network that offers a practical and safemode of transportation at scale while also providing a quality userexperience.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a diagram of a system environment for a network system forVTOL aircraft according to one embodiment.

FIG. 2A is a diagram of sensor data transmission between aircraftaccording to one embodiment.

FIG. 2B is a flowchart of a process for sensor data transmission betweenaircraft according to one embodiment.

FIG. 2C is a flowchart of a process for control of doors of an aircraftaccording to one embodiment.

FIG. 3A is a diagram showing a top and front view of a portion of anaircraft according to one embodiment.

FIG. 3B is a diagram showing a cross-sectional front view of an aircraftaccording to one embodiment.

FIG. 3C is a diagram illustrating aircraft ingress and egress ofpassengers according to one embodiment.

FIG. 3D is a diagram showing a cross-sectional side view of an aircraftaccording to one embodiment.

FIGS. 3E, 3F, and 3G are diagrams illustrating front views of aircraftand propellers according to various embodiments.

FIGS. 4A, 4B, 4C, 4D, 4E, 4F, 4G, 4H and 4I are diagrams illustratingtop views of various seating arrangements of an aircraft according tovarious embodiments.

FIG. 5 illustrates dimensions for a seat of an aircraft according to oneembodiment.

FIGS. 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, and 16 are diagramsillustrating various seating configurations of an aircraft according tovarious embodiments.

The figures depict embodiments of the present invention for purposes ofillustration only. One skilled in the art will readily recognize fromthe following discussion that alternative embodiments of the structuresand methods illustrated herein may be employed without departing fromthe principles of the invention described herein.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

A vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) aircraft provides transportationto users of a network system. In various embodiments, the VTOL aircraftmay include sensors for detecting objects, which may be potentialobstacles in a navigation route of the VTOL aircraft. The VTOL aircraftmay use an estimated location of the detected object to modify thenavigation route. The VTOL aircraft may also transmit the location ofthe detected object to a different VTOL aircraft. In an embodiment, theVTOL aircraft comprises a fuselage including a cockpit and a cabin forpassengers. The cabin may be separated from the cockpit by a cockpitwall angled relative to a lateral axis of the VTOL aircraft. The cabinmay include one or more seats for the passengers including at least afirst seat and a second seat adjacent to the first seat. The seats maybe arranged in a configuration that has a compact footprint, provideslegroom, provides visibility to surroundings of the VTOL aircraft, orfacilitates convenient ingress or egress of passengers. The cabin mayalso include a port cabin door for simultaneous ingress of thepassengers to the first seat and the second seat. The cabin may alsoinclude a starboard cabin door for simultaneous egress of the passengersfrom the first seat and the second seat. The cabin may also include aprivacy wall separating the first seat from the second seat, forexample, to provide a sound barrier for passengers to take a phone callor sleep.

In an embodiment, an aircraft includes a cabin, one or more processors,and a computer program product. The cabin includes multiple seatsincluding at least a first seat and a second seat, a port cabin door,and a starboard cabin door. The computer program product comprises anon-transitory computer readable storage medium having instructionsencoded thereon that, when executed by the one or more processors, causethe one or more processors to perform one or more steps. The steps mayinclude determining that the aircraft is ready (e.g., landed) for egressand ingress of passengers. Additionally, the steps may include providinga first instruction to open the starboard cabin door for egress of afirst set of passengers from the first seat and the second seat, andproviding a second instruction to open the port cabin door for ingressof a second set of passengers to the first seat and the second seatsimultaneously with the egress of the first set of passengers. The doorsmay be opened responsive to the determination that the aircraft is readyfor egress and ingress of passengers. The steps may also includedetermining that the second set of passengers are seated in the firstand second seats. In some embodiments, responsive to determining thatthe second set of passengers are seated in the first and second seats,the aircraft may perform takeoff to navigate to a destination location.

I. System Overview

FIG. 1 is a diagram of a system environment for a network system 100 forVTOL aircraft according to one embodiment. Users of the network system100 may include providers that provide service to other users. Users mayboth receive service and provide service as providers of the networksystem 100. In an example use case, a provider (also referred to hereinas a “pilot”) operates a VTOL aircraft 120 (also referred to herein asan “aircraft”) to transport a user (also referred to herein as a“passenger”) from a pickup location to a destination location. In someembodiments, the aircraft 120 is autonomous and does not require pilotfor operation. Though this disclosure refers to VTOL aircraft forpurposes of explanation, the embodiments described herein may also beapplicable to conventional take-off and landing (CTOL) aircraft or othertypes of aircraft. The network system 100 may determine pickup locationsand coordinate providers to pick up users at the pickup locations.Further, the network system 100 may coordinate a multi-modal trip, forexample, including a first trip segment traveled via an aircraft and asecond trip segment traveled via another type of vehicle. For instance,passengers ride in a car operated by a driver (or an autonomous car) toand from aircraft landing pads to transition to riding in an aircraft.Other types of services provided by the network system 100 include, forexample, delivery of goods, data collection, or access to areas notaccessible by ground transportation.

The system environment includes the network system 100, one or moreclient devices 110, one or more sensors 115, and one or more aircraft120. Any number of components in the system environment may be connectedto each other via a network 130 (e.g., the Internet). Components maydirectly communicate with each other or indirectly through anothercomponent. For instance, a sensor 115 may transmit sensor data directlyto an aircraft 120, or transmit sensor data to the network system 100 tobe provided to an aircraft 120. In other embodiments, different oradditional entities can be included in the system environment.

A user can interact with the network system 100 through the clientdevice 110, e.g., to request service, receive requests to provideservice, receive routing instructions, or receive aircraft information.A client device 110 can be a personal or mobile computing device, suchas a smartphone, a tablet, or a notebook computer, or, in the case of aprovider, may be part of the avionics of an aircraft 120, dashboardelectronic, or other integrated systems. In some embodiments, a providermay use a client device 110 that is a separate device than the aircraft120. In some embodiments, the client device 110 executes a clientapplication that uses an application programming interface (API) tocommunicate with the network system 100 through the network 130.

In one embodiment, through operation of a client device 110, a userrequests service via the network system 100. A provider uses a clientdevice 110 to interact with the network system 100 and receiveinvitations to provide service to users. For example, the provider maybe a qualified pilot operating the aircraft 120 (or a driver of avehicle) capable of transporting users. In some embodiments, theprovider is an autonomous or semi-autonomous aircraft that receivesrouting instructions from the network system 100. The network system 100may select a provider from a pool of available providers to provide atrip requested by a user. The network system 100 transmits an assignmentrequest to the selected provider's client device 110.

The aircraft 120 includes one or more seats for transporting passengersof the network system 100. In embodiments where the aircraft 120 is atleast partially human-operated, the aircraft 120 may also include a seatfor a pilot. Passengers or the pilot may enter or exit the aircraftthrough one or more doors of the aircraft 120. The perspective view ofan example aircraft 120 shown in FIG. 1 includes two doors that openlaterally, for example, along sliding rails or using another type ofactuator, passive mechanism, or combination thereof. Though in otherembodiments, the aircraft 120 may have a different configuration or typeof doors, e.g., doors that rotate to open. The aircraft 120 may includemultiple distributed electric propellers, powered rotors, or other meansof propulsion that enable the aircraft 120 to hover, take off, or landapproximately vertically.

The aircraft 120 may include one or more types of sensors for variousfunctionality such as navigation, passenger monitoring, or obstacledetection or avoidance, among other relevant applications. For example,the aircraft 120 may include at least one global positioning system(GPS) sensor, motion sensor, gyroscope, accelerometer, or other motionsensor to determine and track position or orientation of the aircraft120. Moreover, the aircraft 120 may include at least one passive (oractive) optical sensor, laser-based LiDAR sensor, radar, passive (oractive) acoustic sensor, camera, or other sensors suitable for objectdetection or object location estimation. Furthermore, the aircraft 120include at least one temperature sensor, pressure sensor, ambient lightsensor, altitude sensor, or other sensors suitable for collectinginformation describing weather conditions or surroundings of theaircraft 120. The aircraft 120 may transmit sensor data to anothercomponent in the system environment such as a different aircraft 120 orthe network system 100.

In some embodiments, the aircraft 120 includes one or more sensors forverifying passenger behavior. The cockpit may include a user interface(e.g., associated with a client device 110) that presents aircraft orpassenger information based on data from the sensors. For example, aseatbelt includes a sensor that detects whether a passenger has buckledthe seatbelt. The user interface may include an electronic display,lights, or other indicators that show which passengers are fastened inproperly, improperly fastened, or not fastened. As another example, acabin of the aircraft 120 includes one or more cameras directed to seatsof the passengers, and an electronic display of the user interface mayshow a video feed or images captured by the cameras. Thus, the pilot mayuse the user interface to verify that the passengers have buckled-in fortake-off, have exited from the aircraft 120 after a trip ends, areconforming to safety guidelines during a trip, or have completed anyother particular action. In embodiments where the aircraft 120 isautonomous, the aircraft 120 may present information to passengersresponsive to determining that they are not properly buckled-in orprepared for take-off. For instance, the aircraft 120 presents a message(e.g., informing a passenger to secure a seatbelt or stow luggage) on anon-board electronic display or transmits a message for display on aclient device 110 of the passenger. The aircraft 120 and accompanyingsensors are further described below in various sections.

In addition to sensors of an aircraft 120, the system environment mayalso include one or more sensors 115 off-board or physically separatefrom the aircraft 120. A sensor 115 may be ground-based, e.g., mountedto a building or stationary structure. In some embodiments, a sensor 115is coupled to a moving object such as a ground, sea, or air-basedvehicle. In other embodiments, a sensor 115 may be coupled to a weatherballoon in air, a weather buoy on water, or a satellite in space. Asensor 115 may be moored or tethered to another system that aggregatessensor data, for instance, from multiple sensors 115. A sensor 115 maytransmit sensor data, or information determined based on processingsensor data, to the network system 100 or an aircraft 120. In someembodiments, a sensor 115 is included in a client device 110.

II. Example Process Flows II. A. Example Sensor Data Transmission

FIG. 2A is a diagram of sensor data transmission between aircraftaccording to one embodiment. In the example shown in FIG. 2A, aircraft120A, 120B, and 120C are communicatively coupled to each other over thenetwork 130, for instance, a high-speed and low-latency network. Thenetwork may interconnect any number of aircraft 120 within a thresholdnetwork distance (or radius). The aircraft 120 may share sensor datawith each other or with the network system 100 for safety applications,collision avoidance, hazard awareness, mission planning, navigation,among other functionality. As an example use case, the aircraft 120Aincludes an active radar sensor that detects at least one object 210.The object 210 may be a bird in a flock of birds, a balloon, cloud,drone, an uncharted object, another aircraft (which may not necessarilybe associated with the network system 100), or any other objectdetectable by a sensor of the aircraft 120A. In some embodiments, theaircraft 120A may determine an estimated location of the object 210 byprocessing sensor data, e.g., from distance or imaging sensors.

The aircraft 120A may transmit sensor data information (e.g., includingsensor data or an estimated location of the object 210) to the networksystem 100. Additionally, the aircraft 120A may broadcast the sensordata information to one or more other aircraft 120 in vicinity of theaircraft 120A (e.g., within the threshold network distance). In theillustrated example, the aircraft 120B and 120C may receive the sensordata information from the aircraft 120A or indirectly via the networksystem 100. In an embodiment, one or more of the aircraft may use thesensor data information to update a navigation route. In particular, thedetected object 210 may be an obstacle that should be avoided to preventa collision. In some embodiments, the network system 100 or any one ofthe aircraft may estimate a projected path or motion of the detectedobject 210 and use the estimation to predict a modified navigation routeto reduce the likelihood of collision. Though the object 210 may beoutside of a detectable range of sensors of the aircraft 120B and 120Cat a given point in time, the aircraft 120B and 120C may anticipate theobject 210 as an obstacle (e.g., before the object 210 enters thedetectable range) based on the sensor data information transmitted byaircraft 120A. Thus, the aircraft 120B and 120C may have a greateramount of time or distance to modify a navigation route for avoiding theobject 210.

In some embodiments, any of the aircraft may also be communicativelycoupled to one or more off-aircraft sensors 115. In the example shown inFIG. 2A, the sensor 115 detects another object 220 and transmits sensordata information (e.g., estimated location of the object 220) to theaircraft 120C. The sensor 115 may also transmit the sensor datainformation to other aircraft 120 or client devices 110, or the aircraft120C may route the sensor data information over a network to the otheraircraft 120. In addition to sensor data information collected bysensors on-board an aircraft, the aircraft can also use sensor datainformation collected by off-aircraft sensors 115 for any of the abovedescribed functionalities such as navigation.

FIG. 2B is a flowchart of a process 230 for sensor data transmissionbetween aircraft according to one embodiment. In some embodiments, stepsof the process 230 are performed by the network system 100 or one ormore aircraft 120 within the system environment in FIG. 1 or FIG. 2A.The process 230 may include different, fewer, or additional steps thanthose described in conjunction with FIG. 2B in some embodiments orperform steps in different orders than the order described inconjunction with FIG. 2B.

In an embodiment, a first aircraft 120A determines 235 locationinformation of an object. The location information may include a currentlocation of the object, an estimated location of the object at a futurepoint in time, or motion information indicating change in location(e.g., a flight path). An estimate of location may be determined inthree-dimensional space using triangulation based on distancemeasurements from two or more or distance sensors, or using any othersuitable techniques known to one skilled in the art, e.g., machinelearning algorithms or image processing using images or video capturedby a camera. In some embodiments, the first aircraft 120A may determineother attributes of the object including one or more of a size,quantity, type, color, or risk level of the object. For instance, aballoon having a small size is associated with a lower risk levelrelative to an unresponsive aircraft having a larger size. The firstaircraft 120A may also determine a confidence level or margin of errorassociated with the location information of the object, for instance,indicating a degree of certainty regarding accuracy of the estimatedlocation.

The first aircraft 120A determines 240 that a second aircraft 120B iswithin a threshold distance from the first aircraft 120. The thresholddistance may be based on the threshold network distance. For instance,multiple aircraft within proximity of each other may connect to thenetwork 130 to transmit or receive information. The first aircraft 120Amay query the network system 100 for data to determine whether there areany nearby aircraft 120 or locations of the nearby aircraft. The firstaircraft 120A may also broadcast requests to another aircraft todetermine locations or presence of other aircraft. In some embodiments,the first aircraft 120A may store information describing nearby aircraftin on-board memory such as cache or a flight log. The first aircraft120A can determine whether the second aircraft 120B is within athreshold distance using the locations of the first and second aircraft120A and 120B, e.g., by calculating a distance between the two aircraftfor comparison to the threshold distance.

Responsive to determining that the second aircraft 120B is within thethreshold distance, the first aircraft 120A transmits 245 the locationof the object to the second aircraft 120B. One or both of the firstaircraft 120A and the second aircraft 120B may be airborne when thelocation is transmitted. In an embodiment, the first aircraft 120A mayrequest and receive from the network system 100 (or another aircraft) anidentifier, e.g., Internet Protocol (IP) address, transponder ID, serialnumber, or other data associated with the second aircraft 120B. Thefirst aircraft 120A may transmit the location of the object using theidentifier of the second aircraft 120B, for instance, to distinguishbetween multiple aircraft within close proximity.

The second aircraft 120B receives 250 the location information of theobject from the first aircraft 120A, and in response modifies 255 anavigation route based on the received location information of theobject. The modified navigation route may have a different flight path,speed, or altitude, for instance, to avoid a collision with the detectedobject at an estimated future location of the object. Based on motioninformation of the object, the second aircraft 120B may determine thatthe object is likely to intersect with a projected flight path of thesecond aircraft 120B at a future point in time. In some embodiments, thesecond aircraft 120B modifies the navigation route responsive todetermining that a confidence level of an estimated location of theobject is greater than a threshold confidence, determining that alikelihood of collision is greater than a threshold probability, ordetermining that an associated risk level is greater than a thresholdlevel.

In embodiments where the second aircraft 120B is at least partiallyoperated by a pilot, the second aircraft 120B provides 260 informationdescribing the modified navigation route for presentation to the pilotof the second aircraft 120B. In an embodiment, the information includesa map presented in a graphical user interface on an electronic displayof a client device 110 or the second aircraft 120B (e.g., a built-inmonitor in the cockpit). The information may also be presented in othervisual, textual, or audio form to the pilot. Responsive to determiningthat a confidence level of an estimated location of the detected objectis less than a threshold confidence, the second aircraft 120B maypresent the pilot with an option to manually or automatically modify thenavigation route. In some use cases, responsive to determining that anestimated likelihood of collision with the detected object is greaterthan a threshold probability, an aircraft may trigger or generate analert, transmit an alert to another aircraft, or transmit the locationof the detected object to another aircraft. In other embodiments wherean aircraft is autonomous, the aircraft does not necessarily presentinformation to a pilot or another user. The aircraft may automaticallymodify the navigation route or transmit information associated with themodified navigation route to the network system 100.

The first aircraft 120A and the second aircraft 120B may be associatedwith (e.g., owned by) the network system 100 or a different entity orthird party such as an aircraft manufacturer or airline. Additionally,different aircraft operating in the system environment of the networksystem 100 may be associated with different entities or may havedifferent user interface, electrical, mechanical, or other physicalattributes (e.g., number or configuration of seats, propeller design, orrange of flight). The aircraft of different entities may use at least aset of common protocols to communicate with each other, e.g.,transmitting and receiving sensor data or location information ofdetected objects. Moreover, pilot-operated aircraft and autonomousaircraft may also exchange information with each other.

II. B. Example Control of Aircraft Doors

FIG. 2C is a flowchart of a process 270 for control of doors of anaircraft according to one embodiment. In an embodiment, the process 270can be performed by one or more processors on the aircraft and/or amonitoring system at the present vertiport, e.g., an airport for VTOLaircraft.

In an embodiment, the process 270 includes determining 272 that theaircraft is ready for egress and/or ingress of passengers (“passengerloading”). For instance, the determination can be based on a number offactors, such as, but not limited to, the aircraft is stationary (e.g.,landed or docked), the aircraft is within a permitted area forloading/unloading passengers (e.g., at a “passenger loading area”), theaircraft is in proper orientation within the passenger loading area, theaircraft is in a safe state for passenger loading or unloading (e.g.,certain propellers are stopped and unpowered or locked), the vertiportis in a safe state for passenger loading/unloading (e.g., no dangerpresented by other aircraft or vehicles), or landing gear of theaircraft have been deployed.

Responsive to determining that the aircraft is ready for passengerloading, the aircraft may open one or more doors. In an example, theopening is performed automatically without human intervention. Inparticular, the aircraft opens 274 a starboard cabin door for egress ofa first set of passengers from a first seat and a second seat (or anyother number of seats in a cabin or the aircraft). The aircraft opens276 a port cabin door for ingress of a second set of passengers to thefirst seat and the second seat simultaneously or concurrently with theegress of the first set of passengers. The starboard cabin door and portcabin door may be opened by rotating about a pivot, or laterally movingalong sliding rails.

The process 270 also includes determining 278 that the second set ofpassengers are seated in the first and second seats. For instance,sensor data is used to determine that the passengers are properlyseated, that the passengers have fastened seatbelts of the seats, orthat the passengers have performed other safety protocols. In someembodiments, responsive to determining that the second set of passengersare seated in the first and second seats, the aircraft may perform 280takeoff to navigate to a destination location.

While the process 270 is described above in the context of opening thestarboard cabin door first and then the port cabin door, it will beappreciated that the cabin doors may be opened in the reverse order inalternative embodiments, or which side's cabin doors that open first maybe determined dynamically based on the side that passengers will enterthe aircraft or vehicle for the present vertiport.

While the process 270 is described above in the context of thesimultaneous or concurrent egress and ingress of passengers, it will beappreciated that the cabin doors may be opened to allow sequentialunloading and then loading of passengers.

III. Example Aircraft

FIG. 3A is a diagram showing a top and front view of a portion of anaircraft 300 according to one embodiment. In the embodiment shown FIG.3A, the cockpit of the aircraft 300 may be positioned at the nose of theaircraft 300. Additionally, the aircraft 300 may include windows infront of the cockpit for visibility of the pilot and windows on the(e.g., port and starboard) sides of the aircraft 300 for visibility ofpassengers. The illustrated aircraft 300 includes two powered rotors oneach wing of the aircraft 300. In other embodiments, the aircraft 300may include a different number or configuration of powered rotors, whichis further described below with respect to FIGS. 3E-G.

FIG. 3B is a diagram showing a cross-sectional front view of an aircraft302 according to one embodiment. The aircraft 302 may include multipleseats 304 for passengers in the cabin. Any number of seats may beadjacent to each other, aligned to each other, or facing a same ordifferent direction. In the example shown in FIG. 3B, the aircraft 302includes a cabin door having at least two segments. A lower segment 306of the cabin door rotates downward to provide one or more steps 308, ora ramp, for passenger ingress or egress. The structure of a step 308 onthe lower segment 306 may also serve as storage space, e.g., forpassenger belongings or other items such as maintenance or safetyequipment, when the lower segment 306 is positioned in an upright orclosed position. The upper segment 310 of the cabin door rotates upwardto provide additional head clearance for passengers entering or exitingthe cabin. The aircraft 302 includes landing gear 312 such as wheels formobility and stabilization when the aircraft 302 is landed or taxiing.

FIG. 3C is a diagram illustrating aircraft ingress and egress ofpassengers according to one embodiment. In the embodiment shown in FIG.3C, an aircraft 320 parks adjacent to another aircraft 322, forinstance, on a landing pad or another suitable area for aircraft ingressand egress. Passengers exit the cabin 324 through the starboard side ofthe aircraft 320, for example, using a cabin door (not shown in FIG.3C). Additionally, new passengers for a subsequent trip may enter thecabin 324 through the port side of the aircraft 320 using another cabindoor. This one-way direction of passenger traffic may reduce the averagetime required for passenger egress and ingress between trips provided bythe aircraft. In one embodiment, the aircraft can land for a trip andtake off for the next trip within five minutes, including the time forpassengers deplaning and boarding.

In addition to reducing passenger ingress or egress time, the one-waydirection of passenger traffic may decrease a distance 326 between twoor more aircraft parked adjacent to each other. The distance 326 may bedetermined based on safety regulations regarding aircraft andpedestrians (e.g., passengers waiting to board). Decreasing the distance326 may be advantageous because a greater number of aircraft may parkedon a landing pad at the same time. Additional space may also allow othertypes of vehicles to park next to an aircraft. For instance, a carparked nearby on the landing pad enables passengers to convenientlytransition (e.g., reducing required walk time, and thus reducing overalltrip time) between different types of transportation for a multi-modaltrip. Though FIG. 3C illustrates the one-way direction of passengertraffic in a port-to-starboard direction, in other embodiments, thepassenger traffic may be in a starboard-to-port direction or any othersuitable direction or directions, for example, not necessarily in astraight line.

In some embodiments, a pilot of the aircraft 320 may verify thatpassengers have properly exited form and/or entered the cabin 324. Forexample, the pilot opens a hatch in a cockpit wall between the cockpit328 and the cabin 324 to inspect the passengers, without necessarilyhaving to leave the cockpit 328. During taxi, take-off, flight, andlanding of the aircraft 320, the hatch may be secured such thatpassengers may not disturb or otherwise interfere with the pilot in thecockpit 328. In some embodiments, aircraft crew on a landing pad mayassist the pilot to confirm proper passenger entry or exit. In addition,the pilot or crew may verify that passengers are correctly seated beforetake-off. For instance, the pilot inspects that passengers have fastenedseatbelts, stowed any luggage in appropriate storage locations,positioned seatbacks in an upright position, etc. Though the embodimentshown in FIG. 3C includes the cockpit 328 positioned at the nose of theaircraft 320 (e.g., in front of the cabin 324), in other embodiments,the cockpit 328 may be in a different position. For instance, thecockpit 328 may be positioned behind or above the cabin 324, asdescribed below with respect to FIG. 3D.

FIG. 3D is a diagram showing a cross-sectional side view of an aircraft340 according to one embodiment. In contrast to the configuration of theaircraft 320 and 322 shown in FIG. 3C, the cabin 345 of the aircraft 340shown in FIG. 3D is toward the nose of the aircraft 340, while thecockpit 350 is behind the cabin 345 and toward the tail of the aircraft340. The cockpit 350 may be elevated to provide the pilot visibility tooperate the aircraft, as well as to provide a field of view ofpassengers below in the cabin 345, e.g., to inspect passenger behaviorsuch as verifying that passengers are properly seated before take-off.The pilot may enter or exit the aircraft 340 using a same door aspassengers or a different door of the cockpit 350.

FIGS. 3E, 3F, and 3G are diagrams illustrating front views of aircraftand propellers according to various embodiments. The aircraft 360 shownin FIG. 3E includes a fuselage 365 (e.g., including a cabin and/orcockpit) and a structure 370 (e.g., including a truss or one or morewings) coupled to multiple distributed electric propellers 375 (e.g.,powered rotors). In particular, the aircraft 360 shown in FIG. 3Eincludes at least eight distributed electric propellers 375 arranged ina two-by-four configuration on each of the port and starboard sides ofthe aircraft. The illustrated example shows the structure 370 coupledabove the fuselage 365. In other embodiments, some or all of thestructure 370 may be coupled to the sides, bottom, or edges of thefuselage 365.

The aircraft 380 shown in FIG. 3F includes at least six distributedelectric propellers mounted on a triangular-shaped structure in contrastto the rectangular-shaped structure of the aircraft 360 of FIG. 3E. Dueto the reduced number of distributed electric propellers and morecompact truss structure design of the aircraft 380 relative to theaircraft 360, the aircraft 380 may be lighter in weight. The aircraft380 includes a first wing on the port side and a second wing on thestarboard side. Each of the wings may have a horizontal segment 381, avertical segment 382 coupled orthogonally to the horizontal segment 381,and another segment 383 angled relative to the horizontal segment andthe vertical segment. In the example shown in FIG. 3F, the angle segment383 may be angled at (e.g., approximately) 45 degrees, though in otherembodiments, the angle may vary. Accordingly, the triangular shapeformed by the three segments may resemble an equilateral, isosceles, orscalene triangle. As shown in FIG. 3F, at least two distributed electricpropellers may be coupled to the truss and positioned on a first (e.g.,upper) plane. Additionally, at least four other distributed electricpropellers may be coupled to the truss and positioned on a second (e.g.,lower) plane.

FIG. 3G shows an aircraft 385 including at least six distributedelectric propellers mounted on a “Y-shaped” truss structure, which mayimprove control of the aircraft 385 along the pitch axis, compared toother aircraft having coplanar distributed electric propellers, e.g.,aircraft 360 and 380. The aircraft 385 may include distributed electricpropellers positioned on at least two different planes. The aircraft 385includes a first wing on the port side and a second wing on thestarboard side. Each of the wings may have a horizontal segment 386 aswell as an upper angled segment 387 and lower angled segment 388 coupledto the horizontal segment 386 at a joint. An angle between the upper andlower angled segments 387 and 388 may be an acute angle. In the exampleshown in FIG. 3G, a distributed electric propeller is coupled toward adistal end of the upper angled segment 387 of each wing. In addition, adistributed electric propeller is coupled toward a distal end of thelower angled segment 388 of each wing. Furthermore, a distributedelectric propeller is coupled at the joint (of the Y-shape) of eachwing. The six distributed electric propellers shown in the embodiment ofFIG. 3G are positioned on three different planes, for instance, with atleast two distributed electric propellers positioned on each plane.

In some embodiments, portions of the structure, distributed electricpropellers, mounting parts, or other related mechanisms may be adjustedto different states. For instance, operation states of aircraft areshown in FIGS. 3E-G, though the aircraft may adjust into a more compactconfiguration for a storage or landing state.

IV. Example Seating Configurations

FIGS. 4A, 4B, 4C, 4D, 4E, 4F, 4G, 4H and 4I are diagrams illustratingtop views of various seating arrangements of an aircraft according tovarious embodiments. It may be desirable to arrange seats in the cabinof an aircraft so that passengers feel safe flying in the aircraft, havespace to stow their belongings or luggage, experience reduced turbulence(e.g., side-to-side swaying) to avoid motion sickness, have a wide viewto the outside (e.g., not obstructed by a hatch or other structure ofthe aircraft), or any combination thereof. In addition to providingpassengers with a suitable level of privacy and a comfortable amount ofleg space or arm space, it may also be advantageous to arrange seatssuch that passengers can have the option to enjoy or interact in acommon space with other passengers. Moreover, it may also advantageousto arrange the seats to make efficient use of the available space in theaircraft, balance weight of one or more passengers, a pilot, or luggage,and facilitate convenient and safe passenger ingress and egress. Theseating arrangements shown in FIGS. 4A-I provide one or more of theabove advantages for a cabin including at least three or four passengerseats and a cockpit for one pilot. In embodiments where the aircraft isautonomous, space for the pilot seat may be used instead for a passengerseat, or the cockpit space may be used as part of the cabin space or forstorage. Further, in some use cases, one or more seats not used by apassenger may be converted (e.g., during a transition between differenttrips) into additional storage space, or additional seating space for apassenger who is present. In other embodiments, the aircraft may havedifferent numbers of seats in the cabin and/or the cockpit.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 4A, a cockpit 400 of an aircraftincludes a seat 402 for a pilot. A cockpit door 404 may open toward thenose of the aircraft for pilot ingress and egress without interferingwith or slowing down passenger ingress and egress. Cockpit walls 406separate the cockpit 400 from the cabin 408, and the cockpit walls 406may be angled (e.g., relative to a lateral axis of the aircraft) toprovide greater visibility (e.g., to view the environment outside theaircraft) toward the nose of the aircraft for passengers. The cockpitwalls 406 may also protect the pilot from disturbances from passengersin the cabin 408.

The cabin 408 of the aircraft includes four seats 410 for passengers.One or more of the seats 410 may include a backrest 412, left armrest414, or right armrest 416. Cabin doors may open laterally toward theport or starboard sides to increase the size of pathways for passengersto enter and exit the cabin. The aircraft may have any number of cabindoors on each side (e.g., port and starboard), for example, a frontcabin door 418 for passengers seated toward the nose of the aircraft anda rear cabin door 420 for passengers seated toward the tail of theaircraft. In some embodiments, additional space toward the tail of theaircraft may be used for storage 422.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 4B, the aircraft may include a rear(e.g., tail of the aircraft) facing passenger seat. In addition to cabindoors on the port and starboard sides, the cabin may also include one ormore doors 430 toward the tail of the aircraft for passenger ingress andegress (e.g., from the rear facing passenger seat), or to access storagespace in the tail of the aircraft. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 4C,the aircraft may include two rear facing passenger seats.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 4D, the aircraft may include angledpassenger seats to increase an amount of legroom for passengers, or toprovide more direct visibility to windows of the cabin. Passengerscorresponding to the seats facing the starboard direction may enter orexit the cabin via the starboard cabin door 432. Other passengerscorresponding to the seats facing the port direction may enter or exitthe cabin via a port cabin door.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 4E, the aircraft may include astructural band 434 separating the cabin into two sections, for example,to provide privacy between passengers in different sections. Thestructural band 434 may be positioned at or near the center of gravityof the aircraft. Since the seats face away from the structural band 434,the structural band 434 does not interrupt the viewing angle orvisibility of passengers. In some embodiments, cabin doors for the twosections may rotate outwards (e.g., independently from the other cabindoors) for passenger ingress and egress. For instance, from the topview, the front cabin door 436 rotates clockwise to open, while the rearcabin door 438 rotates counter-clockwise to open.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 4F, the aircraft may include one or moreprivacy walls 442 configured to provide privacy between two or morepassengers in the front section, and two or more passengers in the rearsection, of the cabin as divided by the structural band 440. Privacywalls 442 or structural bands 440 may be formed using opaque materials,transparent materials (e.g., glass or plastic), semi-transparentmaterials, translucent materials, or any combination thereof. Privacywalls 442 or structural bands 440 may include noise insulation materialsuch that passengers can take phone or video calls without interruptingothers, or becoming interrupted, while riding in the aircraft. Theprivacy walls may also define a storage space in the tail of theaircraft. In an embodiment, up to four passengers may each enter andexit from the cabin from a different cabin door, which may open to theside according to the corresponding seat orientation (e.g., forward orrear facing). The cabin may also include a wall 446 that separates thecabin from a storage space toward the tail of the aircraft.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 4G, the aircraft includes three seatsaligned behind the pilot seat. Privacy walls 448 and 450 separate thecabin into individual sections for each of the passengers, and theprivacy walls may be angled to increase passenger visibility, e.g.,toward the noise of the aircraft. In other embodiments, privacy walls orstructural bands may divide the cabin into any other number of sections,each of which may include any number of seats for passengers. Differentsections may vary in footprint size, number of seats, or otherattributes.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 4H, the aircraft includes seats thatface the port and starboard sides of the aircraft, which may reduce theoverall footprint of the seats in the cabin, and thus increase theavailable storage space 452 toward the tail of the aircraft. In someembodiments, by reducing the overall footprint of the seats in thecabin, the aircraft may have additional space for other components suchas a batteries, sensors, or actuators, e.g., for powered rotors.Furthermore, by reducing the overall footprint, the aircraft may also bemanufactured to be more compact or to save material or weight. Comparedto a heavier aircraft otherwise with similar attributes, a lighteraircraft may be able to achieve a greater range of flight on a batterycharge.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 4I, the aircraft includes two frontseats angled to face the tail of the aircraft and two rear seats anglesto face the nose of the aircraft. The aircraft includes one port and onestarboard cabin door, each of which allows two passengers from the portand starboard sides, respectively, to simultaneously enter or exit thecabin.

FIG. 5 illustrates dimensions for a seat of an aircraft according to oneembodiment. In the illustrated embodiment, the seat width and lengthdimensions as illustrated may be 460 millimeters and 720 millimeters,respectively. Dimensions of a seat for passengers or a pilot may bedetermined based on statistics such as an average height, length oflegs, length or width of torso, or weight of a certain population. Thepopulation may represent the 95^(th) percentile of males in ageographical area or another population having different parameters. Insome embodiments, dimensions of the seat may also be determined to allowa passenger to sit with up to a 27 degree back incline from vertical, a95 degree angle between the back and upper leg (e.g., thigh or lap), ora 92 degree angle between the upper leg and lower leg. The seat may beadjustable to accommodate passengers of different sizes. Furthermore,the seat may be switched between one or more configurations such as anupright and reclined position.

FIGS. 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, and 16 are diagramsillustrating various seating configurations of an aircraft according tovarious embodiments. In some embodiments, the dimensions shown in FIGS.6-16 are in millimeters (mm), though in other embodiments, other unitsor dimensions for the aircraft may be used. The height of the aircraftcabins in the embodiments shown in FIGS. 6-16 is 1254 mm, for instance,to accommodate for the dimensions of the seat of the aircraft shown inFIG. 5. In other embodiments, a cabin of an aircraft 120 may have adifferent height, or the height may be non-uniform along at least aportion of the length or width of the cabin.

The example seating configuration shown in FIG. 6 includes five seats,where a front seat 600 may be designated for a pilot. The front seat ofany one of the seating configurations shown in FIGS. 6-16 may be for apilot. In embodiments where the aircraft is autonomously operated, theremay not necessarily be a designated seat for a pilot. The width andlength dimensions of a footprint of the seating configuration are 896 mmand 3530 mm, respectively. As illustrated in the side view of FIG. 6, aportion of an area underneath a seat may be used as foot or leg spacefor another passenger.

The example seating configurations shown in FIGS. 7-8 include fiveseats, where at least one of the seats are rear-facing toward a tail ofthe aircraft. The width and length dimensions of a footprint of theseating configurations are 896 mm and 4117 mmm, respectively. Though notshown in FIGS. 7-8, the aircraft may include one or more structuralbands or privacy walls to separate the forward-facing and rear-facingseats.

The example seating configuration shown in FIG. 9 includes five seats,where four of the seats are angled, relative to a lateral axis 910,toward the port or starboard side of the aircraft. The lateral axis 910may be aligned to centerline or line of symmetry to help balance weightof passengers in the aircraft. The front seat 900 may not be angledbecause the front seat 900 may be designated for a pilot. The width andlength dimensions of a footprint of the seating configuration are 1171and 3197, respectively.

The example seating configuration shown in FIG. 10 includes five seats,where a row of two seats face the nose of the aircraft and another rowof two seats face the tail of the aircraft. The width and lengthdimensions of a footprint of the seating configuration are 1171 and3321, respectively.

The example seating configuration shown in FIG. 11 includes four seatsaligned along a lateral axis of an aircraft. The width and lengthdimensions of a footprint of the seating configuration are 798 and 3589,respectively.

The example seating configuration shown in FIG. 12 includes five seats,where a row of two seats face the port side of the aircraft and anotherrow of two seats face the starboard side of the aircraft. The width andlength dimensions of a footprint of the seating configuration are 2527and 2254, respectively.

The example seating configuration shown in FIG. 13 includes five seats,where four of the seat are offset an angle relative to a lateral axis ofthe aircraft. The width and length dimensions of a footprint of theseating configuration are 798 and 3589, respectively.

The example seating configuration shown in FIG. 14 includes two seatsaligned along a lateral axis of an aircraft. The width and lengthdimensions of a footprint of the seating configuration are 798 and 1998,respectively.

The example seating configuration shown in FIG. 15 includes three seats,where a row of two seats are positioned behind a third seat. The widthand length dimensions of a footprint of the seating configuration are1171 and 1998, respectively.

The example seating configuration shown in FIG. 16 includes two rows oftwo seats each facing the nose of the aircraft. The width and lengthdimensions of a footprint of the seating configuration are 1171 and1998, respectively.

V. Additional Configurations

The foregoing description of the embodiments of the invention has beenpresented for the purpose of illustration; it is not intended to beexhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise forms disclosed.Persons skilled in the relevant art can appreciate that manymodifications and variations are possible in light of the abovedisclosure.

Some portions of this description describe the embodiments of theinvention in terms of algorithms and symbolic representations ofoperations on information. These algorithmic descriptions andrepresentations are commonly used by those skilled in the dataprocessing arts to convey the substance of their work effectively toothers skilled in the art. These operations, while describedfunctionally, computationally, or logically, are understood to beimplemented by computer programs or equivalent electrical circuits,microcode, or the like. Furthermore, it has also proven convenient attimes, to refer to these arrangements of operations as modules, withoutloss of generality. The described operations and their associatedmodules may be embodied in software, firmware, hardware, or anycombinations thereof.

Any of the steps, operations, or processes described herein may beperformed or implemented with one or more hardware or software modules,alone or in combination with other devices. In one embodiment, asoftware module is implemented with a computer program product includinga computer-readable non-transitory medium containing computer programcode, which can be executed by a computer processor for performing anyor all of the steps, operations, or processes described.

Embodiments of the invention may also relate to a product that isproduced by a computing process described herein. Such a product mayinclude information resulting from a computing process, where theinformation is stored on a non-transitory, tangible computer readablestorage medium and may include any embodiment of a computer programproduct or other data combination described herein.

Finally, the language used in the specification has been principallyselected for readability and instructional purposes, and it may not havebeen selected to delineate or circumscribe the inventive subject matter.It is therefore intended that the scope of the invention be limited notby this detailed description, but rather by any claims that issue on anapplication based hereon. Accordingly, the disclosure of the embodimentsof the invention is intended to be illustrative, but not limiting, ofthe scope of the invention, which is set forth in the following claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. An aircraft comprising: a cabin including: aplurality of seats including at least a first seat and a second seat, aport cabin door, and a starboard cabin door; one or more processors; anda computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer readablestorage medium having instructions encoded thereon that, when executedby the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to:determine that the aircraft is ready for egress and ingress ofpassengers; provide a first instruction to open the starboard cabin doorfor egress of a first set of passengers from the first seat and thesecond seat; provide a second instruction to open the port cabin doorfor ingress of a second set of passengers to the first seat and thesecond seat simultaneously with the egress of the first set ofpassengers; and determine that the second set of passengers are seatedin the first and second seats.
 2. The aircraft of claim 1, wherein theport cabin door and the starboard cabin door each (i) open by rotatingtoward a horizontal surface when the aircraft is landed on thehorizontal surface and (ii) include one or more steps for the egress andingress of the passengers, the one or more steps including storage spacefor belongings of the passengers.
 3. The aircraft of claim 1, whereinthe port cabin door and the starboard cabin door open laterally alongsliding rails.
 4. The aircraft of claim 1, wherein the first seat andthe second seat are each positioned at an angle relative to a lateralaxis of the aircraft.
 5. The aircraft of claim 1, wherein the pluralityof seats includes one seat facing the port cabin door and another seatfacing the starboard cabin door.
 6. The aircraft of claim 1, wherein thecabin further comprises: a privacy wall separating the first seat fromthe second seat.
 7. The aircraft of claim 1, further comprising: acockpit for a pilot, the cabin separated from the cockpit by a cockpitwall angled relative to a lateral axis of the aircraft.
 8. The aircraftof claim 1, further comprising one or more sensors to capture sensordata indicating whether the second set of passengers have fastenedseatbelts of the plurality of seats.
 9. A method comprising: determiningthat an aircraft is ready for egress and ingress of passengers, theaircraft including at least a first seat and the second seat; responsiveto the determination that the aircraft is ready for egress and ingressof passengers: opening a starboard cabin door of the aircraft for egressof a first set of passengers from the first seat and the second seat;opening a port cabin door of the aircraft for ingress of a second set ofpassengers to the first seat and the second seat simultaneously with theegress of the first set of passengers; and determining that the secondset of passengers are seated in the first and second seats;
 10. Themethod of claim 9, further comprising: responsive to determining thatthe second set of passengers are seated in the first and second seats,performing takeoff of the aircraft.
 11. The method of claim 9, whereinopening the starboard cabin door and the port cabin door comprisesrotating the port cabin door and the starboard cabin door toward ahorizontal surface on which the aircraft is landed.
 12. The method ofclaim 9, wherein opening the starboard cabin door and the port cabindoor comprises laterally moving the port cabin door and the starboardcabin door along sliding rails.
 13. The method of claim 9, furthercomprising: receiving sensor data from one or more sensors of theaircraft; and wherein determining that the second set of passengers areseated in the first and second seats is based on the sensor data.
 14. Anaircraft comprising: a fuselage; a truss coupled to the fuselage; and afirst plurality of distributed electric propellers coupled to the truss,the first plurality of distributed electric propellers including: asecond plurality of distributed electric propellers positioned on afirst plane; and a third plurality of distributed electric propellerspositioned on a second plane different than the first plane.
 15. Theaircraft of claim 14, where the truss comprises: a first wing on a portside of the aircraft, the first wing including: a first segment, asecond segment coupled to the first segment at a first joint, and athird segment coupled to the first segment at the first joint, thesecond segment and the third segment angled relative to the firstsegment; and a second wing on a starboard side of the aircraft, thesecond wing including: a fourth segment, a fifth segment coupled to thefourth segment at a second joint, and a sixth segment coupled to thefourth segment at the second joint, the fifth segment and the sixthsegment angled relative to the fourth segment.
 16. The aircraft of claim15, wherein one of the second plurality of distributed electricpropellers is coupled to the second segment and another one of thesecond plurality of distributed electric propellers is coupled to thethird segment, and wherein one of the third plurality of distributedelectric propellers is coupled to the fifth segment and another one ofthe third plurality of distributed electric propellers is coupled to thesixth segment.
 17. The aircraft of claim 15, wherein a first angle ofthe second segment relative to the third segment is an acute angle, andwherein a second angle of the fifth segment relative to the sixthsegment is the acute angle.
 18. The aircraft of claim 15, wherein thefirst plurality of distributed electric propellers further includes: afourth plurality of distributed electric propellers positioned on athird plane different than the first plane and the second plane, one ofthe fourth plurality of distributed electric propellers coupled at thefirst joint and another one of the fourth plurality of distributedelectric propellers coupled at the second joint.
 19. The aircraft ofclaim 14, where the truss comprises: a first wing on a port side of theaircraft, the first wing including: a first segment, a second segmentcoupled orthogonally to the first segment, and a third segment coupledto the first segment and the second segment, the third segment angledrelative to the first segment and the second segment; and a second wingon a starboard side of the aircraft, the second wing including: a fourthsegment, a fifth segment coupled orthogonally to the fourth segment, anda sixth segment coupled to the fourth segment and the fifth segment, thesixth segment angled relative to the fourth segment and the fifthsegment.
 20. The aircraft of claim 19, wherein the first plane isaligned with the first segment and the fourth segment, the secondplurality of distributed electric propellers including at least fourdistributed electric propellers.